Power Restored To Thousands Of Metro Detroiters

Crews work to clear downed trees and limbs after storm rolled through the Detroit metro area. (WWJ/Mike Campbell)

WATERFORD (WWJ) – UPDATE 2:00 p.m. Sunday – DTE reports that only a few hundred customers are without power and they expect to have those customers fully powered by Sunday evening.

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As of 8 a.m. Saturday, about 5,000 customers remain without power following heavy storms that moved through the region on Thursday.

The vast majority of the power outages are in Oakland County. The remaining outages are scattered throughout DTE Energy’s service area.

DTE Energy expects to restore power to over 95 percent of the affected customers by midnight Saturday.

Friday was a day of clean-up for many Oakland County residents — one of the areas hardest hit. The sounds of generators and chainsaws filled the neighborhoods of Waterford and Keego Harbor as downed trees — many which damaged power lines — littered neighborhoods.

That’s where WWJ’s Jon Hewett found Tammy Ricinen, whose power had just been restored at her home.

“We cooked out on the grill, and just sat outside, and then went to bed,” said Recinen. “No shower — but I’m going to get in there.”

Linemen from three states were assisting DTE in making necessary repairs. “We work 16 hours and then we are off for eight – until it gets cleaned up,” said crewman Gabe. “You can’t just jump in there and start working … you’ve got to see if it’s (the electricity) is live or dead.”

Lewis Coulter of Tree Cutter Unlimited said the recent storm could generate a weeks worth of work.

“Everybody wants to get it done and get it done now,” said Coulter. “We see somebody that working – we pull over.”